Wednesday, January 2, 2008

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The University at Albany, Binghamton University, Boston University and University of Vermont men’s basketball teams have been selected to the pool of teams to participate in the sixth-annual O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters series, which will be televised on ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN Classic on Friday-Satuday, February 22-23.

The four teams represents the largest number of America East teams selected to the pool in the series’ six-year history. America East is one of only seven conferences to have had at least one team selected for the BracketBusters event in each of the last three years. Albany played Boise State in 2007 and Virginia Commonwealth in 2006, while Vermont played Nevada in 2005.

In all, a total of 100 teams will compete in the 50-game, two-day event. A minimum of 12 of the 50 match-ups pitting potential NCAA Tournament hopefuls against each other will be televised nationally, highlighted by a total of six games on ESPN2. An additional five games will be aired on ESPNU -- ESPN’s 24-hour collegiate sports network which launched on March 4, 2005 -- and one on ESPN Classic.

“We are excited to have a record four teams chosen to this year’s BracketBusters pool. I think these four programs being selected is a sign of our growth and improvement as a conference,” said America East Commissioner Patrick Nero. “America East and our membership relishes the opportunity to gain national exposure through ESPN and its family of networks during the BracketBusters series.”

Albany has appeared on ESPNU in each of the last two BracketBusters, suffering an 83-82 loss at Boise State last season after falling 70-67 at Virginia Commonwealth in 2006. Vermont traveled to Nevada for the event’s marquee game on ESPN2 in 2005. The Catamounts dropped a 74-64 decision to the Wolfpack, but advanced to the NCAA Tournament two weeks later where they upset Syracuse, 60-57, in the first round.

The match-ups for the BracketBusters series will be determined by ESPN in conjunction with the conferences approximately three weeks prior to the event. As part of the agreement, home teams will play a “return” game at the home facility of their BracketBusters series opponent in November or December of the following season. All four America East teams have been tabbed “road” teams for the 2008 event, which will result in a home game versus their selected opponent during the 2008-09 season.

This year’s BracketBusters pool features teams with 74 appearances in the last five NCAA Tournaments, including a team in the Final Four - George Mason (2006); and seven Sweet Sixteen squads – Butler (2007), Southern Illinois (2007), Bradley (2006), Wichita State (2006), UW-Milwaukee (2005), Nevada (2004) and Butler (2003).

In an effort to provide a greater opportunity for NCAA Tournament-caliber teams, the event has expanded its pool of teams (18 in 2003, 46 in 2004, 64 in 2005, 100 in 2006) each year to produce a better cross section of squads for the basketball bonanza.

Songs of UAlbany

UAlbany - Past, Present, & Future

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The University was established in 1844 and designated a University Center of the State University of New York in 1962. With it's broad mission of excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, research and public service, the University engages 17,000 diverse students across three campuses within Albany.

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With 10 schools & colleges within the University, including the Honors College, the University has long been recognized for its selective programs. The University holds a research profile near $400 million, and ranks among the nation's top public universities.

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UAlbany's College of Nanoscale Science and Technology is the first in the world dedicated to research, development, education, and deployment in nanoscience, nanoengineering, nanobioscience, and nanoeconomics. The NanoTech Complex - a $3.5 billion, 450,000-square-foot facility that has attracted over 250 global corporate partners - is the most advanced research complex of its kind at any university in the world.

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Founded in 1968, UAlbany's School of Criminal Justice became the first Ph.D.-granting criminal justice program in the nation. SCJ is concerned with all aspects of crime and societal reactions. They examine political, economic and cultural patterns that shape definitions of crime and influence public response. They also study social forces that lead to criminal conduct, and crime control systems. Ranked #2 in the nation

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Gen*NY*Sis Cancer Research Center

The Gen*NY*Sis Center for Excellence in Cancer Genomics is committed to research that will discover the genetic origins of cancer and lead to finding a cure for the disease. Located on the University at Albany's East Campus, the center combines UAlbany research expertise in genomics and biomedical sciences with state-of-the-art technology in a new 117,000 square foot facility.

Northeast Regional Forensics Institute

UAlbany's Northeast Regional Forensic Institute (NERFI) is an innovative organization that addresses the current high demand for trained professionals in forensic laboratories while simultaneously fostering the research required to improve the speed, accuracy, and effectiveness of future forensic analyses.

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